Special Education

Special Education serves children and young adults with a variety of exceptionalities including learning disabilities, mild to moderate disabilities, behavioral disabilities, and cognitive disabilities. Students work as special educators in schools and program developers and directors in community-based systems.

A Major of its Own at BVU

Students who graduate with this major can pursue careers as:

Special education teachers

Community-based program directors

Program developers in school, community, and international systems

Above all, BVU:

Is the only university in Iowa providing a major in special education.

Has the highest amount of professional engagement and planned mentorship with school and community professionals.

Is the leading producer of special educators in Iowa.

We value the work it takes for our teacher candidates to be well-prepared for their field, thus we engage in actual practice, professional learning communities, literature, and even research in order to hone our skills at the state, national, and international level. BVU’s excellent partnerships with community schools allows BVU students gain tremendous experience through their interactions with their mentor teachers. While most of our classes require a 10-hour field experience, many spend much more time on location because of these great relationships.

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Partnerships

Partner with exercise science students to host Unified Sports Day for special needs students and athletes.

Collaborations

Team up with computer science majors to develop virtual reality learning activities.

Technology

Use the SMARTBoard system to easily practice demonstrating new lessons.

Special Education Plus One Option

The special education master's degree is also available as part of a unique program where students seeking a bachelor’s degree may choose to enroll in a "bachelor’s plus one" option. Enrolling in the program will lead to earning the master's degree within one year of completing undergraduate coursework, saving students time and money.

High Demand

There continues to be a high demand for special educators in the United States as mandatory services are emerging worldwide. This leads to more opportunities and settings for you.

BVU students are prepared to serve children with emotional/behavioral, and/or cognitive disabilities within community and hospital-based day and residential programs supporting academic and lifelong skills.

Students driven to serve and make a difference for students and families on a more individualized level are often drawn to this field at BVU. Our students have a strong sense of social justice, policy, and an even stronger desire to have a positive impact on the world.

Internships

Daycare intervention and curriculum intern

Assessment and progress monitoring specialist and interventionist-

Student Teacher

Careers

Papillion-LaVista Community Schools, Special Educator and Student Advocate

Learning Resource Specialist

Autism and Developmental/Cognitive Disabilities Teacher

Graduate School

Drake University

University of Northern Iowa

University of Minnesota

Major in Special Education (54 Credit Hours, with Education Core 73 Credit Hours)

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The Education Core
(18-19 credit hours)

The education core, which is required of all students seeking a teaching license, is the nucleus of the teacher education program and includes basic courses in education and psychology. Elementary education majors, students seeking secondary licensure, and Post Baccalaureate students are required to take all EDCO courses for a letter grade and to earn a minimum grade of “C-“ in each course.

EDCO 240 Human Development: School Age Children or EDCO 241 Human Development: Adolescents

EDCO 245 Learning and Motivation: School Age Children or EDCO 246 Learning and Motivation: Adolescents

EDCO
255
Professional Seminar I and Field Experience: Learning and Motivation

EDCO
280
History of American Education

EDCO
290/291
Professional Seminar II and Field Experience: Human Relations

EDCO
301
Differentiated Instruction for Exceptional Learners

EDCO
301
Introduction to Exceptional Learners

EDCO
303
Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners

EDCO
390
Instructional Technology and Innovative Teaching

Students pursuing K-12 Licensure (art, foreign language (Spanish education), music, PE) may take either EDCO 240 or EDCO 241, and EDCO 245 or EDCO 246. Each course includes learning related to the full span of age ranges; however, the focused range is different as indicated by the course title. The recommended path is to take one course focusing on school-age children (EDCO 240 or EDCO 245) and one course focusing on adolescents (EDCO 241 or EDCO 246). ESSI majors should take ESSI 102 and 103, instead of EDCO 303.

Special Education Courses
(40 credit hours)

ESSI
210
Special Education Law and Professional Practices with Field Experience

ESSI
220
Multidisciplinary Assessment and Evaluation

ESSI
230
Transitions and Self-Determination

ESSI
291
Professional Seminar II: Supervised Participation in Special Education

ESSI
303
Curriculum Development and Instruction with Field Experience

ESSI
304
Literacy Methods with Field Experience

ESSI
305
Mathematics Methods with Field Experience

ESSI
306
Methods for Teaching Students with Cognitive Disabilities with Field Experience

ESSI
307
Methods for Teaching Students with Behavioral Disabilities with Field Experience

ESSI
310
Behavior Interventions and Supports with Field Experience

TEAC
494
Professional Seminar III: Student Teaching - Elementary ESSI

TEAC
495
Professional Seminar III: Student Teaching - Secondary ESSI

Support Work
(14 credit hours)

EDUC
317
Foundations of Literacy

EDUC
342
Methods of Written Communications

EDUC
371
Methods of Data-Driven Literacy Instruction

EDUC
393
Elementary Math Methods & Field Experience

EXSC
321
Adapted Physical Education

Areas of Specialization

In addition to this, students who complete the ESSI major may elect to complete an area of specialization listed below or complete a minor with teaching licensure in a content area. These are completed in an internship model with assigned academic and field work.